announcing right now, Hayden's going to be preaching this afternoon. And I like to go out into the lobby. This is my chance to do security so that the same men aren't out there all the time. So I'll be going out. So if you wonder where I go in the afternoon, I just do my security time out there. And so, but just continue to pray, obviously. There we go. I just told Diane we talked about words that we say all the time, the youth generation, they want to see how many times they can say the word like in the same sentence, and my word that I say all the time is obviously, and I work on that, and I just told her that, and boom, there it is right there, I just said it. So I obviously need to work on that. but if you again if you wonder this is my chance to go out into the lobby but just keep praying for all that we've mentioned today and we will get you updates as soon as we know them if you are not on Look, it's just easier for Karen to get the info out than it is for me to, you know, she is my secretary and so she, it's no offense to, we're just trying to get the information out as quickly as we can and she's able to do that a lot faster than I can. So the messages, I just tell her, get this message out as quick as you can and, You know we construct it and she gets it out so it will be coming from her if you're not if you're in here and you're not on that list then please we need you know we want you to get it so we may just need your phone number so. And we want to get that to you as quickly as we can so. Pray for those things. I'm trying to think of anything this week as far as scheduled events. I don't think there is Remember we've tried to if you notice on your church calendar. We've tried to keep July and August open July and August open just This is the first time we've tried to do that where I've just really wanted you to be able to enjoy your summer. And I know summers are short in Maine and people scatter and do all of their things and just wanted you to enjoy that. So that's why you see there really isn't any events. The missions trip just kind of came up this year. So that's the only thing that we have scheduled. But just continue to be in prayer for that. Why don't we have our singing, and then after that, Hayden's gonna come and preach for you, and I'll be watching the door out in the lobby. If you'd please grab your hymnal, stand to your feet, and turn to 840. Hymn number 840, what a day that will be. There is coming a day when no heartache shall come, no more clouds in the sky, no more tears to dim the eye. All is peace forevermore on that happy golden shore. What a day, glorious day that will be. What a day that will be When my Jesus I shall see And I look upon His face The One who saved me by His grace When He takes me by the hand And leads me through to the promised land. What a day, glorious day, that will be. There'll be no sorrow, No more burden to bear No more sickness, no pain No more parting over there And forever I will be With the one who died for me What a day, glorious day that will be What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, and I look upon his face, the one who saved me by his grace. And he takes me by the hand, and leads me through the promised land. Mr. Bollier, would you please open us in a word of prayer? Amen. Please turn to 667. Number 667, bringing in the sheets. Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness. Sowing in the wintertime and the dewy years. Waiting for the harvest and the time of reaping. bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves. We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves. We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves, sowing in the sunshine, We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves. Bringing in the sheaves. Bringing in the sheaves. We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves. We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves, going forth with weeping. Sorry for the master, though there was this day. When our weeping's all clear, he will bid us well. Bringing in the sheaves. Bringing in the sheaves. Bringing in the sheaves. We shall come rejoicing. Bringing in the sheaves. Bringing in the sheaves. Bringing in the sheaves. We shall come rejoicing. Good singing. You can be seated. Well, amen. Sure am thankful for another opportunity to be with you this afternoon. Thankful Logan is willing to fill in and jump in as he always does. Appreciate his willingness. Appreciate y'all being here, being faithful Sunday afternoon. And on days like today, when it's a little different spirit in the church, it's good to rather be together, rather be with each one of you than I mean we're able to comfort each other and help each other in times of need and I'm thankful for a church family able to assemble and help in time of need and help each other as we go through the ways of life and the things that come our way and so I'm thankful to God. you know I'm as hearing the news this past week just the things that transpired and all that's happened you know and you you trust God you trust God and you know I don't know where you all are at but as far as my perspective I you know I'm observing this as somebody that's about to go into ministry but then You know, I asked Pastor at lunch, I said, Pastor, am I preaching this afternoon? Part of me was like, you know, with circumstances like this, you know, the easy thing is to just sit down and, you know, and not do anything. But my trust and my hope is in God, and I'm thankful to God for his work and how he leads and that we're in First Thessalonians today. And I think the message I'm praying and hoping that this will be a help and an encouragement and edification to the church today in this situation. And so if you would take your Bible and turn to 1 Thessalonians. We're going to start in chapter 4. And Lord will and preach down through verse number 11, 10 or 11 of chapter number 5. So when you're there, if you would stand, we'll read our text. And I hope we'll see the truth that's borne out here by Paul as he's writing to the Thessalonican believers here. And so we're going to start our reading in verse number 13 of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Is everybody there? Amen. All right. The Bible says, But I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Verse 17, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Verse 18, wherefore comfort one another with these words. Chapter 5, verse 1, but of times But of the times and of the seasons, brethren, no need that I write unto you, for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. you're not all the children of light, you're not all the children of light and the children of the day, we are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, Let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 10, who died for us that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore, comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you. We'll end our reading there. Father, thank you for who you are to us God thank you for your son thank you for the salvation that he wrought on this earth father for all who will believe and for all who will trust in in you for eternal salvation for freedom from wrath and condemnation that they might face apart from you, Father, thank you for this passage, thank you for these people, thank you for their faithfulness, God, I pray that you just calm my nerves, dear God, that you just help me to preach your word as you would desire for me to do so, and Lord, that I would not hinder the message, God, that is brought in this passage today, Lord, but that I would just help and be a method by which you can proclaim it to these people today. And God, I pray that you would just work in a mighty way and that you'd meet the needs that are represented here today, Lord, that I know are many, but God, I pray that you would meet. these needs and that you meet the needs in my heart and Lord that you would just help and comfort today dear God and we love you and we're thankful for who you are would you help this to be clear and precise and accurate to the text and Lord to be biblically accurate I pray dear God that we would honor you with the words that are said and with the fellowship and with all that's to transpire this afternoon. Lord, I pray that you'd be pleased ultimately. Thank you for you, for your willingness to come and to suffer and die. And Lord, thank you for the salvation you've brought. I pray that you bless this time and that you just work through this passage. In Jesus name, amen. Amen. Times and seasons. We have many of them in Maine. We actually have true seasons, do we not? They're unique to many other states. Living in Oklahoma, living in other states, you all have seen it as well, where, you know, you go through the seasons and it's very blurred in between the seasons. You know what I'm talking about? Where it seems like, you know, it's spring, then it's summer, it's spring, then it's summer, it's spring, then it's summer, then it's summer, and then it's just hot. You know? That's Oklahoma. the whole time I was down there I never had a vehicle that had air conditioning and so I was always just, you know, in agony and in pain while I was down here because of the seasons, because of the warmth that came from that south wind blowing from all that hot, hot air in Texas coming up to Oklahoma and from the Gulf and everything. And so you can see in Maine just the distinction in season, the distinction in season and how that As the year progresses, right now we're in the summer season and there was a time where you can basically come to a realization that it's summer. You know, and there's a transition there. But it's a lot more, it's a lot more defined, a lot more defined season here in Maine. And we have that. And with those seasons that we have, we have many different preparations that take place in our own individual lives. And they look different for every individual that's here. For some it's a pellet stove, and getting pellets. For some it's wood, and getting wood in for winter. And in spring, getting the yard cleaned up and getting things ready for the blossom, for the fruit to be brought forth. And so we can see that in season, there's these times. There's fall, there's cleanup, there's harvest, there's winter. What's the main objective in the winter? Stay warm, right? Maintain a path to the sky. Christians then and now are in a season somewhere in their life, somewhere in their spiritual life, or they're at a time where they're going through things, they're going through struggles, they're going through hardships, they're going through pain, they're going through suffering, and we all find ourselves, spiritually speaking, in a season and in a place where, you know, we might need edification over here, or we might need encouragement here, or we might need to be confronted about something here. And we're all in these different seasons of life as believers, but I can tell you right now, with confidence based on the Word of God, that the imminent return of Jesus Christ is a season by which we are in now that all believers, whether they're dead in Christ, they're asleep, as the Bible terminology would be, or they're alive in Christ and they remain. that the season of Christ's coming is now. And it was true then, and it's true now. Jesus could come at any moment. Are you with me this afternoon? All right. We're in a season in life right now where, right now, Christ could return. Right now, those which are alive and remain, he would call us up, as the Bible says, and then we saw that Sunday, did we not? For the Lord himself shall ascend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, I love this last part, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. There is uncertainty and there is certainty in life. There's uncertainty in season and there is certainty in seasons. The certainty of times and seasons of life at any moment could be ended by the coming of the Lord. It could be ended by the coming of the Lord. The imminent return is what the Bible bears out in believing and believing that could happen at any moment, that Jesus could return at any moment. And that season and those times of seasons by which we endure and we go through, there's an overarching season for all of that. And I hope you're getting my point here, as I may not be being very clear, but regardless of the season of time in which we're in in our life, regardless of it, the season that is necessary or the time that is necessary for Christ to return overshadows all of that. and there's hope for us Christians in that. The fact that we might be here and we might remain and we might be enduring seasons or in a season of helping and encouraging and edifying and uplifting or whatever it might be and ministering to the saints, that whatever season of life we might find ourself in, whatever time, whatever place we might find ourself in, the overarching thing to all of that, that which overshadows all of that is the fact that Jesus could come and that Jesus could return at any moment. And so we can see that in Scripture and we can see that as Paul is building the case here and he's trying to instill in these believers here in the book of 1 Thessalonians to have a mindset to where they are expecting of Christ to return. And we can see that in this passage, that he is emphasizing this. And as he's landing the plane, as we talked about on Sunday, he's emphasizing the fact that that Jesus could return at any moment, that Jesus could return at any time, and that there's nothing that could suppress and that there's nothing that could overcome Christ and His return. Regardless of where we're at, regardless of the season, this overshadows all of that. Christ could return at any moment. Every person goes through seasons of life. We go through seasons of infancy, we go through seasons of childhood and adulthood, and eventually just a time to die. a time to die, and Ecclesiastes 3, 2, the preacher wrote, a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted, a time to kill and a time to heal, and on he goes. And Paul knew that they were in the season of life that Christ could come at any moment, and I can tell you that we are right there. We were right there, we need to not turn the news on, you can turn the news on for one moment and see the evil that surrounds us. And, you know, we might think that that evil might overwhelm us, it might overwhelm our circumstances, it might overwhelm all that we're going through, and we see this thing and we can't comprehend how the world could be this evil and how the world could be this cruel, and all of these things that are going on. But you know what the hope we have as believers and as Christians here today, and I can tell you, that we have hope in Christ, that as Christ has promised that He will return and that He will put to an end all of these things, usher in His kingdom and usher in As he, as the rapture takes place and the start to all of these things, God is gonna deal with all the things that we see and all the pain, all the suffering, all that is going on, the evil and the darkness that's in our world. And he uses the word here, as it's interesting, he uses the word here perfectly. Perfectly. But as times and seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. Perfectly is the word used, and in that case, has the idea that they knew exactly what time they were living. They knew when they were living. They knew that Jesus could come at any moment. They accurately understood Christ's coming and were being diligent while they waited. Paul emphasizes not the time. but the when and how. You notice that. He emphasizes not the when, but the how Jesus will return. Look at it. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. How is he gonna come? As a thief in the night. We see he's emphasizing the how Jesus will come, as a thief in the night, which gives the idea that he will not come asking permission. You ever had a thief or robber come up and ask you, hey, you mind if I steal your stuff? No. Never have, have you? Have you ever had a thief steal your stuff? Probably some of us. I was a little kid and didn't have a whole lot, and my dad and me used to go fishing with Logan every night, and some thief stole my fishing pole one day. And we found it eventually. But he didn't ask my permission, otherwise I would've told him no. It was my fishing pole. God is not gonna ask permission. He is gonna come unannounced. He will not come when expected. Matthew 24, verse is, therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh. Kings don't send letters announcing their coming to conquer and to judge. Knowing how he will come is more important than when. We can expect him at any moment, but it's more important that we know how. And it's interesting, when you think about this concept of Christ coming and Christ returning, it ought to have, I'll illustrate it this way, it's like, You take a workplace, right? You take that workplace and the manager there or the boss there, he's very random with his appearance. You know, he's just gonna pop in and you're gonna all of a sudden feel something strange. What's going on? And he's standing right behind you watching you. You get the idea. So that would be very different than from if that individual, that manager or boss or whatever is like, I'll be back at 11, guys. We'll see you in a few. What's going to happen? In the modern workplace, everybody's going to pull their phones out, and they're going to kick back. Because it's 930, and he's not coming back till 11. Seriously. You guys, are you with me here? Doing OK? The fact that it's a secret, the fact that it's uncertain of the when, what does it do? It builds anticipation, right? I got to be busy because at any moment, boss man is right there, right? Simple thought. Christians that are busy have little to fear but for the ungodly they have every reason to. How Christ will come is in the dead of night when least expected and will usher in the tribulation time. And so the outcome and uncertainty of those in darkness rather than those of light. We can see there's a contrast here. Did y'all see that? Darkness, night, darkness, night, night, darkness, nor of darkness, night, not sleep, sleep, sleep, drunken, drunken, be sober, be sober, watch. Anytime you want to understand what is trying to be conveyed, it's important that you look at what words are used and how often they're used. When you look at this text, those words are used repeatedly. He's trying to get a point across here. He's trying to get a point across with these specific words. That would be the subject of what he's getting at, what he's getting across, or what he's trying to communicate. And we can see here that there is much emphasis given to light and to darkness in this passage. Imagine life without light. Stub your toe all the time. You know, depression, gloom, pain. Have you ever studied or looked into how that places in the country or places in the world where they have less light during certain times of the year, how much higher the suicide rate is? Alaska, for example. Alaska is supposedly one of the hardest states in the United States of America to have a ministry of healthy believers because they say that the people that come, I think it's very similar to people in Maine, that they come but they can't endure it because of the depression and the darkness and all the depression that's around them. I've actually done quite a bit of looking into Alaska and how that as men and women, they'll surrender to the call, they'll go to Alaska. They'll work for two, maybe three years, and then they can't take it anymore and they have to go. Light truly does have an effect on the body. It truly does have an effect on an individual. It truly does have an effect on society from a physical standpoint. Would you agree with me there? From a physical standpoint, we can see how that, you know, it's easier to do, say in a workplace, it's easier to do better quality work when there's good lighting. It's easier to walk through the woods at night when you have a headlamp. Spiritually speaking, it's easier as we go through life that we have light to guide us. As believers, our light is found in Christ, the one that we are in, the one that we look to for hope and for salvation. And that light that he possesses, and we're gonna look at here in a minute, that light, because we have it, we have no need to be discouraged and to be depressed and to go these ways. We have natural tendencies as humans to for those things to happen and for those things to transpire. But when we look to him and we don't allow the darkness and we don't allow the evil to overwhelm us, we can we can have and look to the light and the hope that we have in Christ. Light gives many benefits, including time. We were all here at one o'clock because one o'clock is time and one o'clock the sun is almost at its peak. It's just past its peak and so we can benefit from the light there and darkness brings many things with it. When you think about darkness and what is associated with darkness and the things that come about with darkness, I think personally, as I was living in Oklahoma, you can see how that in certain parts of the city, it's not safe to go out at night. It's not very safe to go during the day, but certainly at night if you go down to certain streets, there is like danger, danger, danger. Like you could get shot, you could get stabbed, mugged, like all these different things because of, simply because of darkness. Simply because of darkness. Darkness is often associated with sin, wickedness, and evil. Things that must be done in darkness are things that with light would hinder its completion. Have you ever been around somebody that you could just feel, feel the darkness? Yeah? There's real deal things that go on out in our world and out in our society and out in our culture. I had a individual come in this week and didn't think anything of it. I was working on his bow and just working on his stuff and whatever. And he came in and I mean just instantly. Look at this guy. And I was telling Marissa about it. Like, you could just sense the evil. You could just sense the darkness. I'm not being, I'm not, this isn't just a good sermon illustration. Had tattoos of skulls and flames and just literally looked like people in torment in hell. His eyebrows, he had all spiked and pointy out like this. I mean, and you look into his eyes, and I mean, my heart was troubled because of this guy. There's evil and darkness out there. There's evil and darkness in people's lives. There's hopelessness in people's lives. Darkness, it consumes, it engulfs, it hides, it conceals. Destruction awaits those that be of the darkness. In verse three, the Bible says, for when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape. Destruction awaits those that be of darkness as a woman can't choose when the baby will be delivered and is one who thinks they have found safety, he will come, destruction will come. Do you see what's going on here? There's uncertainty with those in darkness. There's uncertainty with those who are of darkness, those who are not of the light. You with me? Doing all right? Okay. There's uncertainty there. The uncertainty is the fact that they think they will escape wrath, they will escape condemnation, but destruction awaits them, as the Bible says here. There's a great deal of uncertainty here. The idea that this world and life as we know it could and ought to cause some to consider their ways. You know, preparation is key to a person that does not wish to be overtaken. Look at verse four. But you, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief. That day will not overtake those in Christ, for they are aware and have made preparation. The contrast here is very clear. Light and darkness. There's no in-between option. Do you see that? There's no shaded area. It's light and it's darkness. Verse four, but you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. You're all the children of light. Verse five, light and darkness have no business together. John 8, 12, then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Children of light, John 1, 4 through 5, in him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." Those in Christ are not of darkness because He is not of darkness. They have put on His image. They are now image bearers of Christ, and because they're image bearers of Christ, Now they shine forth the light of Christ because they are in Christ, you see, it's not darkness. But John, 1 John 1, 7 says, but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanseth us from all sin. In light, there's safety. Have you ever been camping before and it's dark all night long, and then it starts to get light out? And then maybe, you know, we all went through infancy in a season of childhood, remember? I talked about that earlier. And you're afraid. You didn't sleep a wink that night, and you're looking out at your tent, and, you know, it's dark out there, and you're afraid because, you know, there's coyotes and mountain lions and sasquatches out there, and so you're afraid. But there's safety now because the sun's coming up. Everything is exposed now. Nothing is hidden. Nothing is concealed. In light, there's peace. In light, there's proper perspective. Light shoes away darkness. Light in darkness is easy to see. That's why lighthouses are a thing. and we have them, you know, Pemiquid Point, you know, Owl's Head. It's because with darkness presents danger of things, of obstruction. You could run a ship right onto land because of darkness because you had no idea what awaits there, what awaits before you. But see, spiritually speaking, with a believer, that light that Christ brings into our life and illuminates our life helps give us a different perspective on how we see things. We're not stumbling around in the dark anymore. We're not stumbling around hopelessly trying to find satisfaction and fulfillment and joy in life anymore. because Christ has given us light, we are in Christ, we are not in darkness but in light as Paul says right here, so therefore now we can see differently than as we once did. We can see things in an eternal light rather than in a here and a now. We can see what sin did to our Savior and we can see the fact that as a daily, as we walk with Him, that we ought to put away sin, we ought to put off sin, and that we ought not to harbor sin in our lives because we understand and we see what it is and what it did to our Savior and the consequences of it in eternal damnation apart from Christ. And so we can see here the contrast between light and darkness. Those are in darkness. They don't see beyond another high. They don't see beyond another six pack. They don't see beyond, you know, another good time. And so they're constantly stumbling around in the darkness, trying to find their way through this life, trying to find satisfaction, trying to find hope, trying to find fulfillment. And they wind up one day just with all kinds of scars and with all kinds of pain and suffering and in darkness still. Light reveals rather than conceals. Light helps guide. Imagine life without light. Physical life would be a mess. Likewise, spiritual darkness would be and is for everyone that does not believe. What are you getting at? I know it's kind of I'm struggling a little bit this afternoon, but this is, I believe, what the idea is here, that darkness shall not overtake nor hinder in any way the coming of Christ, for we shall live together with Him, as the Scripture says right here, that our hope is not in if He'll come, but rather when He'll come. And our hope is not in, not in, is he going to reign victorious? It's, it's just a matter of when is he going to reign victorious? It's not a matter of will, will we be caught together in the air? It's a matter of when we'll be caught together in the air. You see, this is our hope for 13. Do you see that? But I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not as others which have no hope. Have you ever placed yourself in a situation where you were in darkness, you were without light, you were without guidance, you were without help, you were without any aid, and you were just in complete darkness. The hopelessness there, and the fear that's there, and the pain that might be associated with that, the pits that you might fall into, the cliffs that you could fall off, the water that you could find yourself stumbling into. All of these different things can run through your head when you remove light from it. When there's darkness and when you can't see and when there's no guidance and there's no light and there's no guidance and help in that time and we can see that others have no hope, that others are without hope simply stumbling around in the darkness without Christ and without that help and without that light to guide them and without that peace and without that assurance in their heart. And we can see that those in Christ, they need not fear death as those that are in darkness, that we have hope and we have hope in the life that is after death and that we need not fear that because we shall not die. We shall not see wrath. We shall not see the wrath of God. Verses 9 and 10, or not 9 and 10 rather, but we shall not see wrath. We can see here in verse, yeah, 9 and 10. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Is that not some comfort to you? Is that not some help to you? Did you get that? The salvation that is obtained through the Lord Jesus Christ gives us hope when others have no hope. The salvation that we have obtained through Christ has freed us from condemnation so that we don't have to face wrath. We have obtained salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. There's hope. There's hope. Verse 10, who died for us that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. We shall not face wrath, for in Christ we have obtained salvation through our Savior. He suffered for us, died for us, and now lives for us, amen? So that whether we wake or sleep, we will live together with him. You know, our tendency is to allow our circumstances and the darkness to overwhelm us. And it is, there's real evil that goes on out in this world, and there's real darkness that goes on out in this world. And it can be so easy to just allow that to overwhelm us on a daily basis, on a weekly basis, to be overwhelmed by the evil and the sin. and just the perverted society that we live in. It could be so easy to allow ourselves to become discouraged because of all that's going on around us because of circumstance or because of trial or whatever it might be. But I can tell you here today, Christian, that we can have hope in the fact that the life that we might have after death is far better and this is the worst that we're ever gonna have it, that we will be in the care of the Almighty Savior and that we can rest and that we can have peace and we can have assurance in our heart on a daily basis that regardless of what circumstance we might face, regardless of what we might, what the day might bring forth, we don't know, but we can trust in the fact that Jesus is gonna return and that we are gonna meet with him together in the air, that there is salvation from this and that there's salvation from darkness and from eternal damnation and that we can rest assured in that and that that can be our hope. that as he says here, that I would not have ye be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, and that sorrow, even as others which have no hope. He doesn't desire for them to sorrow, but he desires rather, in verse 18, that they would be comforted one another by the words in which he is written here. What is he getting at? What is he calling these believers to? Well, verse six and seven gives us that. Therefore, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. Be sober, hoping God for the salvation we have in him as children of light. Through this, we can comfort one another. through the work that Christ hath completed, through the work that he hath brought out on this earth, so that those that were in Thessalonica could obtain salvation, could be free from wrath, could be free from condemnation, that we can too, and that those that are stumbling around in darkness, that they can as well. I believe that's the idea that he's getting across here, that those that were in Thessalonica, they wouldn't allow the circumstance that faced them, whether it be through suffering or trial or whatever it might be, they wouldn't allow that to overtake them or to overshadow them, but to be reminded of the fact that their Savior that suffered and died for them is also their Savior that is gonna rule and reign and emerge victorious over all of these things. And so what is our hope? Our hope is Christ. Our hope is Christ. And we are therefore able to comfort each other in whatever the trial, whatever the circumstance might be. in our daily lives, that's our hope. So Father, would you just help us today as we go home and Lord, as we just pray and we seek you, dear God, I pray that you would just work in the hearts and lives of the believers here today and God, that your will and way would be accomplished in every person's heart, dear God, we're so thankful for who you are and for your work and for the hope that we have in you, God, that we don't stumble in darkness, and that we don't, Lord, we don't have a hopelessness and are overwhelmed with circumstances, but God, that we can rest and have peace and assurance in you, and God, we're so thankful for that. Lord, we love you, and we pray that you would just work in our midst, and God, that you'd just have your will and way. Miss Patty's just going to play through a verse. If the Lord spoke to you and you need a moment, just give you that opportunity now. So, Father, thank you for another day. Father, thank you for this life that you've given to us. Lord, I pray that you just help us as we go now, that you'd comfort and encourage our hearts, Lord, and that you would just work in a way that only you can, that your will would be accomplished, and God, that you would just bless and protect. And Lord, I pray that you'd bring us back together again on Wednesday, and Lord, that you would just be pleased, ultimately, with all that we say and do. We love you, Lord. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.